DiscoverE
Design a Catapult
Just this once, it's okay to throw things in class. Out of craft sticks and rubber bands, pupils build catapults to launch an object of choice. This can be a ping-pong ball, a marshmallow, or any other small item. As long as it hits the...
LABScI
Catapult: Flight of the Marshmallows
Watch your marshmallows fly. The engaging STEM activity has groups create a catapult to launch marshmallows. After testing their prototypes, they consider improvements and redesign their catapults.
Cornell University
Catapults
Ready, aim, fire! Launch to a new level of understanding as scholars build and test their own catapults. Learners explore lever design and how adjusting the fulcrum changes the outcome.
Curated OER
Motion, Forces, Energy and Electricity
What a wonderful way to explore motion and forces! Learners design a catapult, after watching a video and discussing types of catapults. This is a comprehensive and complete lesson with links to supplementary resources.
Curated OER
Catapult Creations
Third graders design and build a catapult. In this lever instructional activity, 3rd graders collect a variety of lever type objects. Students build a catapult and launch marshmallows or crumpled paper and see who can hit the...
Berkeley Engineering and Mentors
Marshmallow Catapaults
After a brief lecture on levers, torque, projectiles, and the five-step engineering design cycle, young physical science learners or engineers build catapults out of craft sticks. This is an open-ended exploration of what works and what...
Curated OER
Marshmallow Mania
In this science project worksheet, students create a catapult from a standard mousetrap that will deliver a small marshmallow to a target area. They score each other based on the landing position for each.
Curated OER
Simple Machines, Odd Machines
Students recognize and identify common objects that can be used as a lever. For this simple machines lesson, students experiment with materials to design and construct a machine that uses a lever. Students also design and build a catapult.
Curated OER
UFOs
Young scholars, in groups, construct a catapult. Then they conduct a series of experiments by catapulting a marshmallow, using different lengths of spoons, across the room. They predict, measure, and record the measured distance on a...
Curated OER
Fling It
Students investigate the best design using technology. In this science instructional activity, students construct a freestanding object with specific materials to be able to shoot a ping pong ball and a marshmallow. They have to adjust...
Curated OER
KS2 Forces and Motion
Students participate in a variety of activities of scientific principles. In this science lesson, students experiment with spaghetti and marshmallows to build a strong structure, balance nails on a nail, and use force to catapult a...
Curated OER
Simple Machines, Odd Machine
Students construct a device to 'launch' a marshmallow at the teacher and then discuss various forms of levers. They work in teams to design catapults and identify different kinds of levers.
Curated OER
Simple Machines, Odd Machine
Students examine levers and design a machine that uses a lever as a central component. In this lever machine lesson students test various machine designs and evaluate their effectiveness.